Winch



March 1962 H. w. ASCHINGER 3,025,009

WINCH Filed Aug. 14, 1959 IN VEN TOR. A dm/Q iic/fly BY A larvey United States Patent 3,025,009 WINCH Harold W. Aschinger, Ridgefield, N ..I., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Vare Industries, Roselle, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 833,877 3 Claims. (Cl. 24254) The present invention deals with a winch and more particularly with a winch for winding cables having noncircular cross-sections.

In the winding of cables of circular cross-sections on winch drums there is no particular difficulty in providing uniform windings across the drum and in providing uniform multiple layer windings on the drums.

In winding cables of non-circular cross-section on winch drums, there is a difficulty in providing uniform multiple layer windings because the nature of the noncircular cable cross-section does not permit a regular nesting of one cable layer in the seat between adjacent windings of the layer underneath to provide for uniform winding and without cable interlocking.

It is an object of the invention to provide a winch which will permit a uniform winding of non-circular crosssection cables across a winch cable drum.

It is another object of the invention to provide a winch including cable guide means therefore and particularly adapted for winding cables of non-circular cross-section in a uniform manner across a winch cable drum.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the description hereinafter following and the drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a type of cable to which the winch of the invention is especially applicable,

FIGURE 2 illustrates a partly schematic and partly sectional top view of a winch according to the invention,

FIGURE 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view along lines 3--3 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

The invention deals with a winch particularly adapted for uniformly winding non-circular cross-section cables in a single layer on a plurality of coaxial drums.

Regarding the illustrations, FIGURE 1 illustrates a non-circular cable 1 having an airfoil shaped cross-section and composed of insulation material 2 containing a plurality of electrical conductors 3.

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate the winch of the invention comprising a shaft 4 passing through drum 5. The drum comprising a hollow cylinder 6 having circular end closure plates 7 and 8 on both ends thereof and of larger diameter than the cylinder 6 to provide a pair of flanges 9 and 10 at each end of the drum 5. The shaft 4 is fixed to and passes through the circular closure plates 7 and 8 centrally thereof.

A second outer drum 11 is mounted on the shaft 4 coaxial with and encompassing the drum 5. The second drum comprises a hollow cylinder 12 with circular closure plates 13 and 14 at both ends thereof. Flanges 15 and 16 extend circumferentially outward of the cylinder 12 at both ends thereof. The outer cylinder 12 is provided with a slot S across the width thereof between the flanges 15 and 16. The shaft 4 passes through the closure plates 15 and 16 centrally thereof. Boss members 17 and 18 extend outwardly of the plates 13 and 14,and are co-axially affixed to the plates and are provided with co-axial bores 19 and 20 in which shaft 4 is journalled. The boss 18 is provided with a clutch lug 21 engageable with clutch collar 22 having a notch 23 in which the lug 21 is insertable. The collar 22 is slidably and rotatably mounted on shaft 4. The outer drum 11 remains stationary unless the 3,025,099 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 "ice clutch lug 21 and clutch notch 23 are engaged. The rotatable collar 22 is connected to a level winder or transverse winding guide 24 by linkage 25 which includes a reduction gear means 26. The winder 24 comprises a spirally grooved shaft 28, with the groove 29 being a continuous groove winding clockwise and counter clockwise lengthwise of the shaft 28, and the winder being spaced from and positioned lengthwise of the shaft 4. A rider 330 is mounted on the shaft 28 and comprises a follower pin 31 engageable with groove 28, whereby the rider 30 is directed to travel reciprocatingly from end to end along the shaft 4. A pair of spaced cable rollers 32 and 33 are rotatably mounted side-by-side on the rider 24 by means of studs 34 and 35, the rollers being grooved to receive a non-circular cable, as illustrated by FIGURE 4. A pair of cable guide rollers 36 and 37, having a shape corresponding to that of rollers 32 and 33, are positioned forwardly of the winding guide 24. A motor 38 is connected to shaft 4.

In operation, the cable 1 is passed between cable guide rollers 36 and 37, between the rollers 32 and 33 on rider 30, through the slot S and is affixed to one end of the drum 5 for winding thereon and passes internally of drum 5 into the shaft 4 and outwardly to an electrical terminal box B. The clutch collar 22 is disengaged from clutch lug 21 and the motor is activated. The clutch collar 22 and drum 5 rotate with collar 22 causing the linkage 25 to rotate the winding guide shaft 28 through the reduction gears 26 and gearing contained in gear housing 39.

The cable 1 is passed through the rollers 36, 37, 32 and 33 in a position such that the widest portion of the noncircular cable is positioned against the drum surface. Reduction gear 26 is adjusted in accordance with the width of cable 1 so that the rate of travel of rider is just suflicient to permit the cable windings to contact each other as the winding progresses along the length of drum 5. When the drum 5 is fully wound with a single cable layer, the rider 30 contacts a trip member 40 connected to gear housing 39, whereby the linkage throws the collar 22 laterally on shaft 4 into contact and engagement with the boss 18. The outer drum 11 now rotates with the drum 5 and cable 1 passing through slot S now winds over the surface of drum 11, with the reduction gear 26 permitting the shaft 28 of winder 24 to rotate at a speed which permits the rider 30 to travel along the shaft 28 at a speed in accordance with the diameter of cable 1 to permit the cable windings to contact each other as the winding progresses along the length of drum 11.

In order to permit an electrical signal to be transmitted along cable 1 during winding, the box B is provided with an electrical slip ring, which operates in a conventional manner.

While not illustrated it is apparent that a plurality of slotted outer drums may be employed for operation according to that of drum 11, and whereby long cable lengths may be wound with the winch of the invention.

Various modifications are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A winch comprising a shaft, a first drum co-axially mounted on the shaft, a second drum co-axially mounted on said shaft over the first drum and spaced therefrom, a slot through the second drum extending longitudinally across the width thereof, the shaft being journalled through said second drum, means for rotatably engaging the second drum to the shaft, an elongated transverse winding guide means, rider means mounted on and movable lengthwise of said transverse winding guide means, linkage means connecting said transverse winding guide means and said second drum engaging means, and means for activating said second drum engaging means when said rider is at a predetermined position on said transverse winding guide means and cable carrying means mounted directly on said rider means.

2. A winch according to claim 1, wherein the first drum is fixed to the shaft.

3. A winch according to claim 1, wherein the second drum engaging means is a clutch member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Harper Feb. 24, 1925 Tilton Sept. 1, 1925 Morgan Sept. 30, 1941 Ireland Aug. 13, 1957 

